Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎466v] (937/1028)

in the end of August, to obtain orders with regard to the proposed expedi
tion against Dost Mohammed Khan of Bampur. He returned on the 6 th
September and on the 25th proceeded to Bam leaving his brother, Sultan
Mahmood Khan, Rahimi, as Commandant of the Central Garrison in
Kerman, which post he held to the end of the year.
Sartip Ali Shah Khan is a strict disciplinarian who represses corrup
tion amongst his officers and sees that his men are properly paid and fed.
He has however been given a deserted village named Aliabad in Rudbar
for conniving at the crimes of Saeed Khan, son-in-law of Zargham-es-
Saltaneh. ^
The Kerman force at present consists of 1,448 rank and file, which
includes 47 officers. This number excludes the new recruits from the
Nizam-i-Wazifeh (see below). The force at Kerman is called Teep-i-
Mustaqil and has Gurdans at Bam and Bandar Abbas called the ‘ Gurdan-
i-Garmsirat ’ and the ‘ Gurdan-i-Bahadir \ Bandar Abbas, which was
formerly under Shiraz, has, since the reorganization, been placed under
Kerman. »
In January Karim Khan of Pusht-i-Gudar robbed a merchant of
property worth 5,000 Tumans. He was arrested by the Commandant Bam
detachment and released in June after giving an undertaking to pay com
pensation. His relatives, however, a few days later, stole a number of
camels and Karim Khan was re-arrested. On the 7th July he escaped
from Military custody with a Baluch recruit who was in charge of him.
They took away with them 2 horses, 2 rifles and 2 Mauser pistols. The
pursued party failed to catch them and Yawar Nusretullah Mirza, the Com
mandant Bam detachment, was placed under arrest and sent to Tehran.
Naib-Sarhang Seyyid Shakar Khan, Rais-i-Nizam-i-Wazifeh (Cons
cription), arrived Kerman on the 20 th August. On the 7th October a
Committee of 15 persons (5 officials, 5 Military officers and 5 notables) was
formed with the Governor-General as President to deal with the recruit
ment. This Committee commenced work on the 6 th November and although
over 2,000 were called up from Kerman town only some 200 recruits were
obtained. There was some agitation at the beginning but it was soon
found that hard cash was more effective. There are good grounds for
believing that much money passed to the Committee of whom all, from the
Governor-General downwards, except Naib Sarhang Seyyid Shakar Khan,
received their share. In the result everyone is pleased; the public because
so few wage-earners have been taken and the officials because conscription
has passed off in Kerman without the riots that have occurred in other
towns.
15. Persian Baluchistan, Jiruft and Rudbar .—In May Amanullah
Mirza, Amir-i-Lashkar, Sharq, visited Kerman to discuss with the Officer
Commanding plans for a concerted attack on Dost Mohammed Khan of
Bampur.
In July the Military authorities began storing the Government grain
and fodder at Bam, Narmashir and Jiruft. The bulk of the Kerman
troops were concentrated in Bam at the beginning of September and on the
25th Sartip Ali Shah Khan, Officer Commanding Kerman Teep, joined
them there.
On the 12 th September the Governor-General, Kerman, issued a procla
mation depriving Dost Mohammed Khan of the Governorship of Baluch
istan. I
In October the Kerman force moved to Rahmatabad (Rigan) 30 miles
S. W. of Bam and some 150 miles from Bampur. Further advance was
however postponed till the Khwash force had advanced as far as Magas.
The Kerman force then advanced and occupied Bampur without opposition
on 23rd November whilst the Khwash force occupied Fahraj. Dost Moham
med fled without offering resistence; it is believed because of the fear
inspired by the aeroplanes operating with the Khwash column. At the
end of the year Dost Mohammed was in a fortified position at Sarbaz, South